1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to electrical cables and, more particularly, to solid-core wire electrical cables.
2. Description of the Related Art
In today""s modern office buildings, there are numerous applications for wiring of computers and other data or audio transmitting devices that require lengthy pieces of cable to be installed behind walls, under floors, etc. The cable generally terminates in the room where the computer or other device needs to be plugged in. Usually, a patch cord, which is conventionally formed of stranded core wire, may be connected to one end of the lengthy cable while the other end of the patch cord is terminated with a connector and connected to the computer or other device.
Currently, commercially available patch cords formed of stranded core wires are not longer than 25 feet so as to avoid adverse effects, such as magnetic fields and other interferences created by the wiring. However, many computers and other applications must be reliably connected by cables that are longer than that, without imparting any type of wiring interferences or any problems created by the discontinued connection between the cable and the patch cord.
The current practice is to run application-specific cabling, with the installing contractor splicing and attaching patch cords to cables and attaching termination connectors on the ends of the cable before installing into the necessary application. Unfortunately, these installer-attached termination connectors are prone to quality control problems, as they were not made in a consistent manner.
In addition to the ever present xe2x80x9csplicingxe2x80x9d problems created, these installer-attached termination connectors give rise to a number of problems later, as each of the connections must be individually field tested by the installer in order to make sure that the connections are proper. This testing can take many hours, costing a great deal in labor, all without the kind of reliability which is necessary for a quality installation.
Furthermore, such wiring of data signal distribution applications can present problems later when the computer or other device is physically moved, and these installer-attached terminated cables remain unmarked, causing numerous field tests to determine which cable end corresponds to another cable end in a distant room or through a wall.
For instance, a typical installation involves an installer beginning with a cable at one location, pulling the unmarked cable through walls and ceilings toward the ultimate destination, and putting a termination connector on one end of the cable (to be connected to a computer) in an entirely different room in the building. Then, five years later, if the computer is moved, the cables will need to be identified in order to connect the computer properly in a new location. With the hundreds of wires that are now hidden behind wall panels and ceilings in between the old location and the new location, it is very difficult to trace the cable back to its original source without tearing down the walls. This happens every day in corporate America, with the frequent movement of personnel. The identification and re-testing of the existing cables is extremely difficult and unreliable.
As it would be most advantageous to re-use the cabling that is already in place, a great deal of man-hours must be expended to ascertain which cable to use. This is especially true since there would not have been any standardization applied to the existing cable infrastructure, as it was individually hand done by the contracted individual installer years earlier. So, in the unlikely event that the location of the proper cable is known, the cable still needs to be tested throughout its length to make sure that the cable is continues to be suitable and is still sound for the new application.
With the problems of the prior art in mind, the present invention seeks to provide a fixed length electrical cable suitable for telecommunications and capable of being made into long lengths while exhibiting consistently high quality and reliability, while being easy to use and labor saving.
Another advantage being sought by the present invention is an electrical cable which is designed so that, once the cable is installed, it is easy to determine which termination ends correspond to the same cable.
In accordance with the present invention, the broadest embodiment includes a fully terminated fixed length solid core wire electrical cable, i.e. an electrical cable which includes a solid-core wire, an outer sheath surrounding the solid-core wire, and a connector attached directly to each end of the cable. In a preferred embodiment, the electrical cable has a code marked on the outer sheath of the cable near each end of the cable in which the code is individualized for that particular electrical cable. The code may also be marked at intervals along the length of the cable, for example about every one to five feet.
In another preferred embodiment, the cable is at least 60 feet long and has at least eight solid-core wires, each wire being at least 24 gauge or heavier; an outer sheath surrounding the at least eight solid-core wires; a factory/field-attached and tested RJ45 connector attached directly to each end of the cable, each connection being factory or factory-quality tested; and a code marked on the sheath about every one to five feet along the length of the cable, wherein the code is individualized for the electrical cable.